Visit Rwanda and track mountain gorillas on our 5 Day Rwanda Gorilla Wildlife Safari. You will need a Rwandan Tourist Visa – if you are e visiting any other East African Country – an East African Tourist Visa.
Yellow Fever Certificate: Yellow Fever Immunization Certificates are now required in East African Countries. One dose will do it for a lifetime. You should have it administered 30 days before arrival.
Day 1: Arrival – Kigali
Depending on your arrival time in Kigali, our driver guide will meet you and either you stay in Kigali for the night if you arrive late – If you arrive in the afternoon we take you to we move on toward to Volcanoes National Park where we check into the Lodge of Choice. We can pick a lodge for you in the budget, moderate or upmarket category, here you also have a luxury category in two lodges. This marks the start of the 5 Day Rwanda Gorilla Wildlife Safari.
Lodging – up-market: Lodges to Choose from near Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Lunch – Dinner depending on arrival
Day 2: Gorilla Tracking – Afternoon Cultural Village Visit
This is the big day that you came for – your encounter with the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda. After an early breakfast we move to the park headquarters where you will receive a briefing regarding the gorilla trekking procedures from the park rangers and you are assigned to visit one of the habituated gorilla families
Then it is upward through the Bamboo forest for your mountain gorilla encounter. One should be reasonably fit but you can the assistance of porters to carry your things and use a walking stick. A gorilla trek is normally between two and six hours in length
Once you encounter the Mountain Gorilla, the effort, even the cost involved dissipates since for most it it s a once a lifetime experience and it will be one of the most exciting hours of your life as you observe your gorilla interact with each other as families, watching the toddlers frolicking like any other youngsters. It will certainly will prove to be a most amazing experience for you.
Clothing for Gorilla Trek should include the following, long trousers such as jeans, long-sleeved shirt, light rain-jacket, good and worn in hiking boots, daypack to carry packed lunch and also 2 liters of water
Afternoon visit to the Iby’ Iwacu Cultural Village for an interactive village walk including where you learn to shoot with bow and arrow as in days of old, cultural dancing and much more. This activity must be pre-booked by us.
Lodging – up-market: Lodges to Choose from near Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park.
Breakfast
The 5 Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari continues – After breakfast we head to the eastern part of Rwanda bordering Tanzania and visit Rwanda’s only Savannah Park where you ca see elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, buffaloes, hippos, zebras, crocodiles, hyenas, and there is a diversity of birds including water birds found here.
Akagera National Park is one of Rwanda’s scenic wonders with its savannah, lakes, swamps, forest, hills – a perfect add-on to your time of Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda.
There are two lodges within the Park – the moderately priced Akagera Game Lodge and the Ruzizi Tented Cottages which is upmarket.
Lunch
In the afternoon we take a boat ride on Lake Ihema where you can see the many species of water birds and others found in Akagera National Park including African Fish Eagles, Marabou Stork, crowned crested cranes, open billed storks, cormorants, herons, egrets and you just might see Africa’s most sought after bird – the Shoebill Stork.
The Boat Safari is one of the highlights of your visit to the Park and lasts about two hours. Besides the birds you will see wildlife coming to water, hippos in pods and large Nile Crocodiles.
The Boat Safari is best taken in the late afternoon as the sun dims and begins to set for best pictures.
You will be able to see the sun set from both lodges. Sunsets in Rwanda since it is on Central African Time are around 5:45 pm.